Bib Numbers for Iditarod 40

	Bib #	Musher Name	Sex	City	State	Country	Status
	2	Redington Jr, Ray	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	3	Lanier, Jim	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	4	Pinkham, William	M	Glenwood Springs	CO	USA	Veteran
	5	Thurston, Tom	M	Oak Creek	CO	USA	Veteran
	6	Bailey, Jodi	F	Chatanika	AK	USA	Veteran
	7	Marrs, Wade	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	8	Smyth, Cim	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	9	Petit, Nicolas	M	Girdwood	AK	USA	Veteran
	10	King, Jeff	M	Denali	AK	USA	Veteran
	11	Baker, John	M	Kotzebue	AK	USA	Veteran
	12	Maixner, Kelly	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	13	Suprenant, Michael	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	14	Zirkle, Aliy	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	15	Moon, Pat	M	Park Ridge	IL	USA	Rookie
	16	Herbst, Trent	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
	17	Jonrowe, DeeDee	F	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	18	Mackey, Lance	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
	19	Cooper, Travis	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Rookie
	20	Griffin, Kelley	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	21	Smyth, Ramey	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	22	Santos, Mike	M	Cantwell	AK	USA	Rookie
	23	Willomitzer, Gerry	M	Whitehorse	YT	CANADA	Veteran
	24	Ekran, Sigrid	F	Sparbu		NORWAY	Veteran
	25	Gebhardt, Paul	M	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	26	Phillips, Michelle	F	Tagish	YT	CANADA	Veteran
	27	Neff, Hugh	M	Tok	AK	USA	Veteran
	28	Kaiser, Peter	M	Bethel	AK	USA	Veteran
	29	Berkowitz, Jake	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	30	Kinzer, Jaimee	F	Willow	AK	USA	Rookie
	31	Berington, Kristy	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	32	Steer, Anjanette	F	Sheep Mountain	AK	USA	Rookie
	33	Berington, Anna	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Rookie
	34	Seavey, Dallas	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	35	Seavey, Mitch	M	Seward	AK	USA	Veteran
	36	Linton, Bruce	M	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	37	Janssen, Scott	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
	38	Savidis, Justin	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	39	Anderson, Ken	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
	40	Steves, Jan	F	Edmonds	WA	USA	Rookie
	41	Buser, Martin	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	42	Robertia, Colleen	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	43	Hendrickson, Karin	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	44	Burmeister, Aaron	M	Nome	AK	USA	Veteran
	45	Stielstra, Ed	M	McMillan	MI	USA	Veteran
	46	Olson, Ryne	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Rookie
	47	Barnum, Kirk	M	Grangeville	ID	USA	Veteran
	48	Debruin, Hank	M	Haliburton	ONT	CANADA	Rookie
	49	Chlupach, Bob	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	50	Sass, Brent	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Rookie
	51	Williams, Jr., Michael	M	Akiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	52	Giblin, Matt	M	Juneau	AK	USA	Veteran
	53	DeNure, Zoya	F	Gakona	AK	USA	Veteran
	54	Furtwängler, Silvia	F	Rauland		NORWAY	Rookie
	55	Cadzow, Josh	M	Fort Yukon	AK	USA	Rookie
	56	Ramstead, Karen	F	Perryvale	AB	CANADA	Veteran
	57	Failor, Matt	M	Mansfield	OH	USA	Rookie
	58	Sousa, Gerald	M	Talkeetna	AK	USA	Veteran
	59	Lindner, Sonny	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	60	Swenson, Rick	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	61	Perano, Curt	M	Queenstown		NEW ZEALAND	Rookie
	62	Buser, Rohn	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	63	Peterson, Braxton	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Rookie
	64	Church, Jr, Art	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	65	Seavey, Dan	M	Seward	AK	USA	Veteran
	66	Clarke, Lachlan	M	Buena Vista	CO	USA	Veteran
	67	Redington, Ryan	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran

66 Mushers are signed up and ready to go. The reason they start at 2 is the Honorary Musher will be #1. Junior Iditarod Champion Conway Seavey will be the first out of the chute during the Ceremonial Start. And, considering it's a big anniversary, how fitting that a Reddington start and end the line up. What a fantastic - coincidental, I'm sure - tribute to the man who was crazy enough to dream up this seemingly impossible dream. May a little bit of Joe be with every mushing team this weekend.

Musher's Banquet opens March Madness #iditarod

While most people hear "March Madness" and think basketball, those in Alaska know it's all about the Iditarod. Tonight will be the Musher's Banquet. This is one of the final fundraisers for the Iditarod, and it is the beginning of the race in many ways. All mushers are in attendance, and fans buy tickets to sit at their favorite's table. They dine on some fantastic vittles, and Hobo Jim entertains.

Then the dinner turns serious, there's an auction - which is fun, but also competitive in its own right - and then the headlining event. Mushers come up in the order of sign up to draw a number out of the hat. This will be their final strategy prep. They will say a few words to their supporters and sponsors and the race, they'll take their number, they'll head back to their seat. And then the mind games begin.

Most mushers will tell you that they want to be the middle of the pack, number wise. The earlier you run out of the gate you break trail, tire early, and you have a longer wait when you take your "24 hour rest". With teams leaving the starting line at 2 minute intervals, depending on how many teams there are, the first person out of the gate's 24 hour rest is actually longer than 24. This then starts everyone over and the race can begin. Again, it all comes down to strategy. The mushers have chosen, in their mind, where they will take their 24 weeks ago. Their food drop bags are marked, and their supplies are flown out to the check point a week or so before the race begins.

What's even more competitive are the fans waiting to hear the bib numbers so they can record them. Mind you, the Iditarod does a wonderful job of getting bib numbers out before the night is over, but folks are mad dashing it to find out. Fans and volunteers alike hover around to get the numbers as they're announced. It's exciting, but a little scary with the way some aggressively go to be the first to write down the numbers in their ITC Membership booklet!

No matter where mushers end up, it all comes down to the team running the week of the Iditarod.

The part of my job that is magic...

The social media aspect, and other parts of the job that I will be doing, are nice, don't get me wrong, but the part I will enjoy most is the photography. This is what I love doing, we all know that, but to have it be a big part of this "side job" is fantastic!

Last night I went out and snapped a few pictures of the potential A-team... here are a few of my favorites!

Blogger won't let me post another picture for some reason, so... I guess that's it for tonight.

Working through the Iditarod

It's official. I am working for mushers during the Iditarod (and beyond). Started Monday and it's been a whirlwind. So that's why the blog went silent this week. It was not my intention, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Tomorrow I am going to pack for the Iditarod. We will travel up to Anchorage Friday evening. Trail Guarding for the Ceremonial Start on Saturday, and then we'll head over to the HQ to see what's going on there. Then Sunday we'll head out to Willow for the ReStart. I will meet up with "my" mushers and take pictures, hopefully posting via my mobile phone on their facebook, and then I'll hike out to whereever my family and friends are to watch the teams take off for Nome!

I'm debating whether I want to stay in Anchorage for a while or head back home with the gang after that. I'm tempted to stay up there, but may not have a vehicle, which would make my stay up there rather pointless... decisions, decisions...

Seavey wins Jr. Iditarod after moose attack

Conway Seavey at the finish of the JrT in January.
Seavey just won his first Junior Iditarod title.

Conway Seavey can breathe easy now that the monkey of last year is off his back. Last year Seavey lost what many believed would be his first Jr. Iditarod win when he and another prominent Jr. Musher took the wrong trail just miles from the finish line. This year, Seavey came charging into the Willow Lake finish line with Ben Lyons on his heels in what is being called one of the closest finishes in history of the race.

It almost didn't happen, however, as both Seavey and Lyons - who were nearly neck and neck for the entire race - had a run in with a moose while on the trail this afternoon. Seavey's brother shared the information over facebook, making sure to share that they were shaken up but that teams and mushers were ok. There was concern that Seavey may be disqualified for his contacting his family and not the race marshal - Seavey wanted to let race officials know that the moose was still on the trail and to warn other teams. Mushers are to report to the race officials first, however Seavey reportedly tried to contact officials but no one answered his calls, so he called his father to try to get in touch that way.

Lyons was just twenty feet behind Seavey when the boys crossed the finishline. Lyons also runs with a team of Seavey dogs.

Junior Iditarod sits at the halfway point.





Ben Lyons at the finish of the JrT - Jan 2012
Lyons holds a small lead at the halfway point
of the Junior Iditarod this weekend.

Nine of the ten mushers who started the race this morning have made it into the halfway checkpoint at Yentna Station. Rookie Ben Lyons - who is sponsored, in part, by the Seavey family and is running their dogs - came into Yentna first at 5:51pm AKST. Ben does not have a cusion, however, as Conway Seavey was right on his heels coming in just two minutes later and Bailey Vitello checked in one minute after Conway. Benjamin Harper came in just five minutes after the leader. 

This is not the first time Conway and Ben have been neck and neck from the half way point. In January they were one and two in the JuniorT, with Conway coming into the finish just minutes before Ben. Their banter in the checkpoints then was entertaining to the volunteers, their friendship is evident, but both proved they were equally competitive.

Conway was poised to have a close finish last year with Merissa Osmar, but a wrong turn found both mushers finishing near the back of the pack. Conway told the Junior Iditarod organizers that one of the reasons he wanted to run this year was so that he could redeem himself for the mistake, that there were members of his family making sure he didn't forget it.

Only one team is out on the trail this evening trying to make his way to Yentna. As of 8:40pm Brayson Bruton - a rookie from Willow, Alaska - was at mile 52.75 of the trail, Yentna is mile 75.

Building anticipation for Iditarod 40

As if it wasn't already noticable, as the countdown comes closer to the start of the Iditarod, anticipation grows to an overwhelming high. To keep from going absolutely crazy there are a few ways to keep the excitement up, without the insanity of the upcoming race overtaking you!

Iditarod.com is a fantastic resource to get up-to-date with the race, as well as relive past races. Rereading their blog posts - and this year they're doing a 40 year retrospective - rewatching Insider videos also keeps one excited. And this weekend we get to get our Jr. Iditarod on with free access to the GPS trackers! Oh, and don't forget Jeff Shultz awesome pics of the day/week. His facebook is also a FANTASTIC way to see the race.

Speaking of Iditarod Insider - every fan of the race should get themselves a copy of their Iditarod Documentary: "Purely Alaskan." With this being the 40th Iditarod, it's the perfect DVD to watch gearing up for the historic event. This goes through most of the history of the founding of the race up to present day (2010). It's a FANTASTIC way to get into the Iditarod mood. After that, watch the DVDs of previous races.

Tweeting with friends and mushers is another great way of getting the anxiousness under control. We chat about what we plan to see, who we're cheering for, who we predict will do well, remembering past races. It's a small fandom, but it's a knowledgeable and FUN and FRIENDLY fandom. How many sports can say that the fans generally get along?!

Reading the blogs, sites, and facebooks from the mushers this time of year is also exciting. Most are good about at least pretending to know what they're doing on the internet, other's have completely embraced it. There are some coming into the digital age kicking and screaming (but that's why they hire no lifers like me who love social media applications).

The easiest way for me, however, after teh Insider videos and DVDs is definitely a few of the great books on the Iditarod and their participants. You can see my top picks here, but there are many others that are just as good.

Junior Iditarod begins tomorrow!

Saturday's race boasts 11 junior mushers on the roster, including three veterans. Last year's surprise winner, Jesse Klejka, is back but will face some fierce competition from Conway Seavey who has some unfinished business after last year's mistake cost him a possible win. Seavey took a wrong turn with another musher last year and ended up coming in farther back in the standings than he was supposed to. Conway's bio on the Jr. Iditarod website about his goal for this year proves he's not taking this race lightly, "This year, if nothing else, I plan to finish the Race without getting lost so the jokers in my family will give me some peace!"
The boys better look out, however, because the other veteran in the mix is Jenny Gregor a musher out of Montana. Jenny came in fifth last year as a rookie, and won rookie of the year. By the looks of things she is a seasoned competitor, and could pose to be quite a challenge this year.

Here's hoping everyone has a great race this weekend! Be sure to follow along on iditarod.com, the GPS tracker is free to all for the Junior Race!

Good luck Peninsula Mushers! Ben Lyons (l), Conway Seavey (r),
and Mattie Cobb (not pictured)!! Bring home a win!

Bring on the Men!

It's true, the Iditarod is dominated by men, aside from a very powerful run by Susan Butcher where she won four titles in the course of five years, the Iditarod has been a "man's game." They're a cast of characters, all of whom have great fanbases spanning the entire globe. Some are grandfather status, others are barely out of college age. There's no standard size or build when it comes to these mushers, it comes down to strategy's and levels of insanity, and 2012 hosts a ton of ready to win competitors.

A short-lived retirement for Jeff King means the "most winningest musher in history" is once again in the hunt for a fifth win. King took last year off, and is running a somewhat smaller kennel this year, but has shown that he is every bit as competitive as ever. He won the Sheep Mountain race earlier this season, and gave the Tustumena 200 champion - Cym Smith - a run for his money (literally). It seems whatever drive was missing at the end of Jeff's career in 2010 is back. If he's not first, he'll be top ten. http://www.huskyhomestead.com

2011 was a rough go for Lance Mackey. His team seemed to tire out - due partially to illness - and they just couldn't get into their magic groove that propelled them to four consecutive wins (he placed a dismal - for him - 16th). Mackey will, no doubt, be back with a vengence - especially since King is back. The two have a fierce rivalry, and it makes long time fans excited to see a possible head to head battle again this year. Mackey is a cancer survivor, which propels him to be the very best he can be. If he could beat a disease that was supposed to cancer, -40* temperatures ain't nothin! Of the fourtimers racing in the 40th race, Mackey seems to have the best shot at reclaiming his title and tying Rick Swenson for most wins. http://www.mackeyscomebackkennel.com

Current Iditarod Champion John Baker had that magic run last year, breaking down barriers and setting records. His quiet confidence, and get the job done attitude makes him one of the most admirable mushers ever to win. Baker has been a fan favorite for decades, and his win was as exciting as any win in history. Baker could very well repeat his win, but it will all have to come together. He's no longer just one of the teams "in the hunt." So many mushers never repeat, but if Baker were to do so he'd break even more barriers and records. http://www.teamjohnbaker.com

Hugh Neff just won himself a Yukon Quest and is looking to match Lance Mackey in becoming Iditarod Champion in the same year. Neff's energy exceeds his team, and his care for his dogs is exceptional. "The Cat in the Hat" brings some much needed new life into the race, with his enthusiasm. He prefers the Quest, but the Iditarod continues to call. Neff is a mushing rock star. http://www.laughingeyeskennel.com

The youth vote definitely goes to Dallas Seavey. The 2011 Yukon Quest Champion has steadily climbed the rankings in the Iditarod finishing 4th after a seemingly slow start. The youngest musher to ever finish, Seavey's new goal is now to be the youngest musher to win - a record currently held by Rick Swenson, who won his first Iditarod at the age of 26. Seavey has two years left to claim the record, and looks to be ready to do so. Seavey is a third generation Iditarod musher, his grandfather - Dan Seavey - came in third in the very first Iditarod, and his father - Mitch Seavey - won the Iditarod in 2004. Dallas is competitive and very goal minded, a win is completely possible. http://facebook.com/DallasSeaveyRacing

Mitch Seavey was having a solid race last year until a freak accident - with a knife severing his finger (nearly cutting it off!) - sidelined his chance for a win. Seavey is back, hoping to finsih what he started last year. Mitch works his strategy religiously, and rarely veers off his plan. He has his race planned down to the minutes, it worked in 2004, it could very well work again. The real question is how his finger will hold up while fighting the cold and other elements during the 10 days on the trail. He's had decent standings all season long, but nothing will put his recovery to the test like the Iditarod. http://www.ididaride.com

Ramey Smyth nearly had his dream become reality last year when he came second in the Iditarod. It's said that no one can get a team to kick into a whole other gear at the end of a race like the Smyth boys. Smyth holds records for fastest time from White Mountain to Nome. He's really set the pace for a first win for his team, and this could just be the year. The other guys know to watch out for him.

Martin Buser is another four time Iditarod Champion looking to claim another title. He was well on his way to doing just that last year, but many believe that he set the pace far too early and his team reached burn out before the final stretch. Buser is one of the many characters on the trail, he often sings to his trail as they run down the trail and believes his dogs happiness is more important than where he finishes. He's an adopted Alaskan we're all very proud of. Chances are Buser will be in the thick of things, but has a very outside chance of actually nailing his fifth win down. http://www.buserdog.com

Paul Gebhardt has been a mainstay on the Iditarod for years. He hails from Kasilof, Alaska, and he's a fan favorite. Gebhardt has been "so close" many times, and could pull one out of his hat finally. Last season he had to scratch due to illness within the team. They just didn't want to run. Gebhardt is in tune with his team, and knows what it takes.

Cim Smyth beat Jeff King in the Tustumena 200 by just minutes with his team kicking into that magic Smyth Team gear this past January. His team looks strong, and it could be "that other Smyth" that comes out on top. He's just a nice guy that you want to see have that magic moment, ya know?

A very outside chance, but he needs to be on this list, is Rick Swenson. He holds the most wins at #5, and chances are he's feeling the heat with Mackey, Buser, and King all coming up and trying to tie for number of wins. Swenson is one of the oldest competitors out on this year's trail. He's a bit larger than most of the mushers, and he comes from the old school, but he could have one more win in him. Anything is possible!

Watch out, men, the ladies are coming through!

One thing that makes the sport of mushing so fantastic is that it breaks down the gender barrier. There's no "mens" division or "women's" division. It's everyone for themeselves. In the 1980s the women dominated much of the Iditarod with five wins between two women. With nine days to go until the Start of Iditarod 40, it's time to get a preview of what and who to watch for. What better way than "ladies first," right?

The last time a woman won the Iditarod was Susan Butcher's fourth win in 1990. It's been close for a few ladies over the last 22 years, but no one has been first under that burled arch. That could change soon - possibly even this year - with the rise of the latest generation of lady mushers. Each brings new, and sometimes fresh, perspective to training and dog care. This season we've seen them all be incredibly competitive in their middistance races.

Probably most recognisable is DeeDee Jonrowe. She's one of the emotional favorites of the race, being almost always "the bridesmaid". When Butcher retired in the early 90s, the torch was passed to Jonrowe to be the next woman to win. DeeDee has come close many times in her long career, but the win has always eluded her. In 2002, DeeDee's training and racing schedule was sidelined when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned to the Iditarod in 2003, just weeks after surgery, and finished an impressive 18th. At age 58, she is one of the most seasoned mushers running in the 2012 race. DeeDee remains the darling of the race, and an inspiration to many. This marks her 30th Iditarod. http://www.deedeejonrowe.com

If DeeDee isn't the top lady finisher this year, then look for Aliy Zirkle to take that spot. Aliy has been a mainstay on Alaska trails and races for years, and her work is paying off. The family kennel looks to be as strong as it has ever been, and with the help of her husband Allen Moore it's an incredibly maintained and trained team set to take the trail to Nome next week. Zirkle won the Yukon Quest in 2000 - the only woman to do so - and is seemingly everyone's best bet to be an Iditarod Champion someday soon. http://www.spkdoglog.com

Buzz surrounds many ladies, but after her 9th place finish in her rookie year against a very competitive field in the 2012 Yukon Quest, Kristy Berrington is one of the top lady mushers coming into the Iditarod. Kristy and her identical twin sister, Anna, has lived and trained on the Kenai Peninsula for the last four years. 1984 Iditarod Champion Dean Osmar convinced Kristy and Anna to move to Alaska and run dogs. Kristy partnered with Paul Gebhardt the following year and between the two they have over 80 dogs and both are quite competitive on the trail. Anna still runs Osmar's teams, and will be running her rookie Iditarod this year, she will no doubt be one of the race's top rookies this season. http://www.seeingdoublesleddogracing.com

The Kenai Peninsula is beginning to churn out many great lady mushers. Colleen Robertia is a local favorite, but has shown time and again that she can and will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. Mushing enthusiasts have predicted her rise to the top in the next few years, and her work ethic has proven that drive time and again. Robertia runs both the Quest and the Iditarod most years, as well as a few middistance races. In a very competitive field for this year's Tustumena 200 she came fourth with a very strong and healthy team (the trail is well groomed, but all up-hill, both ways, in the snow, and the sun, and the cold... you get the picture). Colleen is, no doubt, on the edge of creating Iditarod magic. Could it be this year? We'll see! http://www.rogueskennel.com

Jodi Bailey is probably one of the happiest, sweetest mushers alive, but she is competitive. She makes up half of the Dew Claw Kennel out of Interior Alaska, and no doubt the dogs feed off her energy when running. She is the first rookie [of both races] to ever complete the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in a single season, which she did last year. It was a huge goal on her part, and she did a fantastic job. The Dew Claw Kennel took a year off from the Yukon Quest this year, but will be running the Iditarod hoping to improve in their standings, and no doubt they will. http://www.dewclawkennel.com

Team Norway will once again be represented in the Iditarod, after being MIA last season. Due to high costs of travel with enough gear and dogs to compete, it's understandable that with the smaller reward for doing well hinders teams from coming such a long distance. Sigrid is one of the most recognizable musher from Norway, with her huge smile and enthusiasm. She's also incredibly competitive. Unlike most of the Norweigan mushing teams that come over to Alaska to run, Sigrid learned and trained and ran her first few Iditarods while living in Alaska and going to school at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. It will be exciting to see her run again after her haitus! http://www.teamsigridekran.no

Anjannete Steer caused a big stir in the community this year when she won the inaugural Northern Lights 300. Wife of Iditarod Veteran Zack Steer, she's running the A-team in her rookie Iditarod as Zack is taking the year off. Zack has broken the top fifteen in the past, and it looks like the team is in good shape to give Anjannete a great race. http://www.sheepmountain.com

Probably not competitive, but always a joy to see in the race would be the beautiful siberian team led by Karen Ramsted. Siberians make for beautiful postcards, but are hard pressed to be winners of long distance races that take just over a week to complete. Siberians are a little larger than Alaskan huskies, and have thicker fur, they overheat faster and so are a slower team. Still, Karen's enthusiasm for the sport and her dogs make her a fan favorite world-wide. She took a hiatus from the race last year, but is back with her happy Sibes. She's our favorite Canuck! http://www.northwapiti.com

After a disappointing scrach in last year's Iditarod, Zoya Denure was unsure that she would run the Iditarod, but she couldn't stay away. She has something to prove with a lot of talk going around that she doesn't have what it takes. Zoya and her husband devote time to training and rehabilitating rescued dogs for a life not just in mushing, but an active healthy life not matter where and what they're doing. When she's not racing dogs, speaking or taking folks on sled dog tours, Zoya is a devoted mom to young Jona who is as adorable as all get out. Whether or not she is ever a top competitor Zoya just makes you smile with her updates about her team. http://www.dogsleddenali.com